From desk to own authority

[Rev.Vassago]

I think most of you talk BS about what your getting unless your hooked up with a shipper but as far as load boards are concerned I think your lucky to get $1.60 to $1.80 at the most. I've bid on tons of loads and never hear back so I'm sure they are getting a cheaper price. If you think a handful of us here on the load boards are going to change the industry by not taking loads for less than $2.00 your F%^%& crazy and will sit and starve. I don't think my average is bad at all and this month should be about $1.80.

And therein lies the downfall of getting all your loads from a loadboard, where everybody and their mother has access to them, and everybody and their mother has their hand in them. I used to work for a guy who did nothing but get his loads off a load board. Needless to say, he isn't in that business anymore.

The $1.80 is for loaded only.

Other than to skew your numbers to make them look better, what is the point of even calculating what you are making for loaded miles only? It isn't a true representation of what you are pulling in.

The loads that I've been doing are at least 2,200 miles at an average of $1.80 now. I did do some loads at $3.00 that were under 500 miles but those still took 2 days and not enough time to get to the next one and load until the 3rd day. Some of these loads take up to 4 hours to load up. Myself, I would rather do the long hauls for under $2.00 per mile and take it easy.

C.R. England, Swift, J.B. Hunt, etc. would love you. The trick to making it in this business is to put AS FEW miles on as you can, while running THE HIGHEST rate possible. I would certainly rather put 5000 miles a month or less on, and pull in $20,000, than put 12,000 miles a month on to get that same $20,000. My variable costs are lower, my equipment will last longer, and I won't end up as tired from running my butt off.

[Bigmon]

Steve,

Because of he holidays over 1 million peole have left town so you're getting a break on the traffic.

As you noticed the Irwindale area is big for trucking so the streets are wider and more beat up. The first load I ever pulled, race cars, went to the Irwindale Race Track. Not far from where you are.

The area you stayed in, Hesperia, is the part of the high desert which gets more wind than Los Angeles.

[Kintama]

If you want to go to Florida, try to LTL out of there. If you spend a little time and line some things up, you'll make more in the long run, or deadhead out as Gman suggested. Florida is a black hole for freight.

Well, I'm back at the Pilot in Hesperia for the night and will get an early start to Aspen in the morning. I was at the shipper before 7 when they opened so I was the first one in. Since I was the first they gave me the lighter load at 20,000. I'm hauling the stage that will be used at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen for the upcoming X Games. I have 4 big concrete blocks up front and 4 in back then some of the stage in the middle. This is the first time my steers feel heaving so I plan to scale in the morning and adjust my 5th wheel. I may move it anyways and scale again to see the difference. Maybe ride around the block then do a comparison. At slow speeds it almost feels like I have only 1/2 my power steering. I have a feeling this load is much more than 20,000. I was down to 35mph coming over the mountain into Hesperia.

There was another guy loading also heading to Aspen who had his own authority and has been on his own for 4 years and is doing very well. We compared notes and he's getting about the same as me. The only difference is that he's renting his trailer for $700 per month and has a truck payment but he's doing OK. This guy was one of the Chip and Dale dancers and traveled around the world doing shows. He was always around trucks when they unloaded the stage props and stuff so when he reached 40 which was too old to be in the show, he started driving. Cool guy, we're going to grab a cab and head for Aspen town one night.

Rev.Vassago

Ignore

There was also a driver there picking up some other stuff in a van. He was in his late 60's and retired. Lives in Port Orange Florida and has been here in California for the past few weeks visiting his children and was taking a load back close to Florida. I had my suspicions about this and he confirmed it. There are 8 bazzilion retired truckers with there own authority living in Florida. They haul quite a bit of freight from there and plan to run there trucks into the ground then hang it up. He said he does short runs around 350 miles or so. When I was looking for a truck there was plenty in Florida for sale by retired truckers.

I'm sure going to miss the Outpost restaurant close to the Pilot here. I got up at 2am this morning and just had my first meal of the day around 4pm. The waitress asked if I was OK. I said, I want to leave, I just can't get up and need a wheelbarrow to bring me back to my truck. I'm full, fat, dumb and happy right now and will melt into bed shortly.

This is FUN!!! 6 weeks and NO regrets.

[Rev.Vassago]

Rev.Vassago

Ignore

[Mackman]

Rev i would just give up and let him sink his own ship.

[-FlyByNight-]

This is FUN!!! 6 weeks and NO regrets.

Damnit Steve! This is business, NOT pleasure! :wink:

I couldn't help but think of you when I saw an ad for Landstar in one of the trucking magazines. It has a picture of a truck with mountains in the background and another picture of a guy skiing and the caption reads...

See the mountains.
Ski the mountains.

This is freedom. This is Landstar.

This -FBN- being envious.

Glad things are going well for you my friend. Keep on truckin'!

[solo379]

Steve, if you are writing a book, I've got a good title;-

"Trucking for Gentlemen"

No charge! :P

[rank]

US dollars LOL!

And the loads I mentioned are only 250-500 mile deals so you may have something there.

[Rev.Vassago]

Steve, if you are writing a book, I've got a good title;-

"Trucking for Gentlemen"

No charge! :P

He already wrote one:

Steve, if you are writing a book, I've got a good title;-

"Trucking for Gentlemen"

No charge! :P

lol, no books for me although a good title, I use to be a Gentlemen Host on cruise ships at one time.

I forgot to mention yesterday. It's a good thing I stopped back at the Pilot to spend the night instead of making a little progress. Every highway out of here was shut down either because of high winds or accidents. I've never seen so many trucks laying on there sides and car accidents.

This is the highest load I've ever carried also, 13'6" but I'm all set. All the states I'll be going through are at least 14'. I'm sure I'll still duck a few times until I get use to it.

I may stop in Vegas tonight if the weather is good, have something to eat and walk around a bit.

The checks have started to roll in and I'm in the black now with a few thousand in the account.

Damnit Steve! This is business, NOT pleasure! :wink:

Sorry there Fly, I'll try and be like the other professionals in here. Lets see, were did I put those doom and gloom pills.

The board has been down for a while. Well, I loaded up and stopped at Vegas for New Years. I only dove about 200 miles. I was on the road to Vegas about 2am and it was just jam packed with car loads of teenagers also headed for Vegas. I guess it's the thing to do or something. When I crossed over into Nevada the weigh station was more than fully staffed and no PrePass this time. They were pulling everyone in. The guy talked to me for a bit, probably to see if I was drinking. He then did a walk around and checked all my chains, straps and air lines. He then let me go. The pull off area for people that didn't pass was stacked to the max with trucks parked on the side and everywhere.

I parked at the new Petro on the outskirts of town and took a shower, did laundry, washed my windows, checked the oil and did a real good inspection. After that I grabbed a cab into town, walked around, had dinner then headed back around 8pm. The place was insane and not a fun place to walk around, just too many people.

I got up early again and headed off and made it to Salina and decided to stop there for the night, another easy day since I'm ahead of schedule. I stopped at a small place with a Denny's right there and a Mexican restaurant and had some great hot food and went to bed early.

I started out early again this morning and it was freezing cold. I had only driven about 50 miles and realized I didn't fill in my log book so I stopped at the next rest stop. It was full so I did a U-turn in the parking lot and was going to park on the side for a minute and all of a sudden the warning sound came on for the brakes and then the trailer valve kicked on and to a stop a came....FAST!

I got out and could see the red emergency line was leaking and didn't have a hole but looked like it just blew up. I called out on the CB to see if anyone was awake that may have a spare hose I could buy but everyone was asleep. So, I unhook the trailer which was real hard cranking when you have a 20,000 right over the 5th wheel. So off I go back to Salina because there is nothing for over 100 miles in the other direction. I get there and the little shop has nothing. Drive another 20 miles to a small Flying-J and buy 2 hoses and drive back.

I get out my tool and start to put a wrench on the nut and the air hose is so stiff it keeps turning the nut back when I take the wrench off. No big deal, I'll just get my big wire cutters and cut the hose. When I do it just shatters. I grab the hose in different places and crush it with my hands and it falls to pieces!!!! Now that country song is going through my head...."I fall to pieces...na na na". When I did that inspection the other day the hose was perfect. I think now, I'll check to make sure it is somewhat pliable also instead of rock hard like it was.

I get the hose fixed and I'm on my way through the mountain passes. I'm up over 8,000 feet then start down and I notice there isn't a sign telling me about a steep grade. I can see another truck coming up the mountain at least 1,000 feet below me. I start going down and realize I'm pushing on the pedal to keep my speed up. I put the cruise on for 55 and the computer says I'm getting 3.2MPG. There is a MAJOR wind tunnel coming up the mountain. WOW!!!!

I keep going then I see the signs for 6% for the next 6 miles and they weren't kidding. I was in 7th with the Jake's on full and still stabbing the brakes the whole way. No big deal but you need to stay on top of it for sure.

Stopped for my nap a while ago and it's daylight now and in an awesome rest stop somewhere in either Utah or Colorado, not sure but there's moo cows or something all around me.

On to Aspen!

[GMAN]

At least it happened before you hit the long steep grades. Today, most hoses are made of plastic. After a while they tend to become brittle and can break. I wish they still made them out of rubber. They seem to stay pliable longer and are easier to repair. I used to keep fittings in the truck so that I could make a repair if the hose started leaking. I think you enjoy running the left coast.

I think you enjoy running the left coast.

I actually bought 4 new hoses. I'm going to replace the other one also and 2 spares just in case. I bought 4 new glad hand connectors too, may as well do the whole 9 yards.

[GMAN]

It is a good idea to keep a few spares of some things. You can't always rely on something going out at a convenient time. :wink: By the way, Steve, did the Nevada DOT check your tire chains or securement chains?

[nrvsreck]

Steve, keep it up man! I love reading about your adventures. I'm envious as are alot of folks, but you had the sense to make your money first then plunge in and just have fun. And despite the Rev's crab-like demeanor, he is right about something: keep your straps on the inside of the rub-rail. A good read through the current FMSCR book would do you good. BOL! 8)

[allan5oh]

Yup I have a longass spare hose. Right now I can use it to fill up any tire, it has the right fittings. If I need it, it will be used for a trailer line.

It is a good idea to keep a few spares of some things. You can't always rely on something going out at a convenient time. :wink: By the way, Steve, did the Nevada DOT check your tire chains or securement chains?

He check my securement chains. Grabbed every chain and strap, walked around the whole truck looking at everything. He seemed OK and didn't have an attitude.

Steve, keep it up man! I love reading about your adventures. I'm envious as are alot of folks, but you had the sense to make your money first then plunge in and just have fun. And despite the Rev's crab-like demeanor, he is right about something: keep your straps on the inside of the rub-rail. A good read through the current FMSCR book would do you good. BOL! 8)

Thanks. Yes, I do have the FMSCR book, I read it at night to put me to sleep. Kidding. I know about the rub rails and I did it again on this load by mistake. I'm all done chaining and strapping then I step back and say, OH CRAP. At least I got one side under the rail. The DOT guy didn't say anything about it but I'll try and do it right the next time!